Autopilot systems are useful for unmanned control of a watercraft (or other vehicle) to a destination. However, obstacles or hazards may exist along the route being navigated by the autopilot that can lead to unsafe travel. Without (or even with) human interaction, such hazards can be difficult to detect and avoid. Through applied effort, ingenuity, and innovation, many of these identified problems have been solved by developing solutions that are included in embodiments of the present invention, many examples of which are described in detail herein.